IIT Madras develops electrolyser reduce green hydrogen production cost

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed an indigenous, low-cost alkaline seawater electrolyser capable of producing green hydrogen without the use of rare or expensive metals. The breakthrough addresses two major challenges in hydrogen production: high costs of current electrolysers and the growing scarcity of freshwater.

Traditionally, hydrogen is produced using de-mineralised water, requiring nearly nine litres of water to generate one kilogram of hydrogen. Meeting India’s target of five million tonnes of green hydrogen would otherwise consume around 50 billion litres of freshwater annually. By using alkaline seawater instead, the IIT Madras team offers a sustainable alternative.

The innovation lies in the design of corrosion-resistant catalysts made from abundant transition bimetals. Unlike conventional systems that rely on costly noble metals such as ruthenium or iridium, these catalysts selectively promote oxygen evolution reactions while minimising hypochlorite formation, a common problem when seawater is used as an electrolyte. This ensures both efficiency and durability of the system.

The electrolyser has been scaled up successfully from a single-cell prototype to a nine-cell stack. When powered by commercial solar photovoltaic systems, it can generate up to 50 litres of hydrogen per hour, marking a significant step toward industrial-scale green hydrogen production.

According to Prof. S. Ramaprabhu from the Department of Physics, IIT Madras, the development has the potential to accelerate India’s green hydrogen mission. Beyond reducing dependence on fossil fuels, large-scale adoption could cut carbon emissions across multiple sectors, including steel, fertilisers, and chemicals. Hydrogen fuel cells can also power vehicles, promoting clean energy transition.

India has set an ambitious goal of becoming a global hub for green hydrogen by 2030. The success of such indigenous technologies will play a critical role in meeting this target while reducing costs and ensuring environmental sustainability.

IIT Madras, previously, had entered into an R&D partnership with Ohmium International, a company specialized in the design, manufacture, and deployment of PEM Electrolyzers, to accelerate the production implementation of PEM electrolyzer technology enhancements.